Frequently Asked Questions

What is SkyBLAST?

SkyBLAST is a high-performance web service that runs NCBI BLAST searches. It provides identical results to NCBI's BLAST website but delivers them significantly faster through cloud computing optimization. SkyBLAST launched in 2025 and is in active development - feedback is welcome.

How does SkyBLAST compare to NCBI BLAST?

SkyBLAST uses the exact same BLAST software and databases as NCBI, ensuring identical results. The key difference is speed - we've optimized the infrastructure and computation process to return results much faster than the traditional NCBI web interface.

How is SkyBLAST so much faster?

We achieve faster results through several optimizations:

• Cloud-native architecture that scales automatically with demand
• Optimized search algorithms and database access patterns
• High-performance computing infrastructure
• Efficient job queuing and resource allocation

I found some erroneous results, or results the differ to the NIH BLAST service

We are keen to hear about any discrepancies, no matter how small, between SkyBLAST and the NCBI-BLAST service offered by the National Institute of Health. Send us information about your search (query sequence, database, algorithm & parameters) and the issue found to [email protected].

What are the usage limitations?

Currently, SkyBLAST is freely available for up to five searches daily, or twenty searches for users who create a free account. To apply for a premium account with support for higher usage, email us at [email protected]. For high-volume needs, please contact us at [email protected] about our professional services.

Which BLAST programs are supported?

We currently support:

• blastp (protein-protein BLAST)
• blastn (nucleotide-nucleotide BLAST)
• blastx (translated nucleotide-protein BLAST)
• tblastn (protein-translated nucleotide BLAST)

Will you add support for other BLAST variants?

Yes! SkyBLAST launched in 2025 and is still in development. We plan to add support for PSI-BLAST, PHI-BLAST and DELTA-BLAST. We also plan to add organism search set support.

Which databases are available?

We maintain synchronized copies of all standard NCBI BLAST databases, including nr, nt, RefSeq, SwissProt, and PDB. Our databases are currently updated weekly to match NCBI's versions.

Can I export my results?

Yes, results can be exported to JSON format under the Download All option on the search results page toolbar. Support for multiple formats including CSV, TSV, and BLAST XML will be available in the future.

Is my sequence data secure?

Yes, we take data security seriously. All sequences are transmitted over encrypted connections, processed in isolated environments, and automatically deleted after the retention period. We never store or use sequence data for any purpose other than performing the requested BLAST search. However, for highly sensitive searches we recommend using the National Institute of Health BLAST service.